Robert cooke sayer



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1 R. G.A SAYER.

APPARATUS POR UTILIZING RAIN WATER.

No. 422,451. Patented Mar. 4, 1890 N. PETERS, Phm-Lnhngnphur, wushingkmA D. c.

(No Model.) 2 sheen-sheet 2.

R. C. SAYER. APPARATUS POR UTILIZING RAIN WATER. No. 422,451. Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT COOKE SAYER, OF REDLAND, BRISTOL, COUNTY OF GLOUCESTER,

ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR UJ'ILIZING RAIN-WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,451, dated March 4, 1890.

Application filed May 22, 1889. Serial No. 311,757. (No model.) Patented in England November 29, 1887, No. 16,372, and January 17,1889,N 838, and in Germany February 18, 1889, No. 46,185.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT COOKE SAYER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Redland, Bristol, in the county of Gloucester, England, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Utilizing Rain-Water for Domestic Purposes, of which the following is a specification. Foreign patents have been obtained for this ro invention as follows: in England, blo-16,37 2, dated November 29, 1887, and No. 838, dated January 17, 1889, and in Germany, No. 46,185, dated February 18, 1889.

' My invention for improvements 'in apparatus for utilizing rain-Water for domestic purposes relates to apparatus for collecting, tiltering, and storing the rain-Water, and has for its principal objects to provide improved means for straining the Water collected from 2o the roofs ot houses or other collecting area, for separating the dirty Water irst collectedn from the clean Water subsequently collected, for storing the Water before and during filtration, and for retaining the ltering material in the filter; and it consists in a strainer constructed so as to arrest the buoyant as Well as the heavy suspended matter; 'in causing the stream of Water collected to be instantaneously diverted from the Waste-trough for storingvvhen the roofs or other collecting area have been cleansed by the rst portion of the Water, the Whole of the Water being then collected; in providing the holders or reservoirs in which the Water is stored With a combined overflow, iushing, and drawing-off arrangement, Which may also serve for heating a portion to enable it to be drawn off and preserving the remainder inthe reservoirs from damage by frost, and in a means for retaining the ltering material in the filter, consisting of a sieve having apertures the size of which can be varied with great exactitude in a material that is not perishable and capable of being cleansed Without removal. The collected water is first passed through a strainer for retaining the whole of the suspended matter, and a portion then passes to actuate special apparatus hereinatter described, and the remainder passes off to Waste. When the roof has been cleansed, the Whole of the Water collected is instantaneously diverted by the special apparatus above mentioned from the Waste to a primary reservoir, whence it passes through a filter to a second reservoir, and thence through a second tilter to a third reservoir. 5 5

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the strainer andvapparatus for instantaneously diverting the stream of Water. Fig. 2 shows in vertical section the primary and secondary reservoirs with the lter between them. Fig. 3 is a vertical section Vof the overflow, flushing, and drawing-oit arrangement. Fig. 4 is a section of the reservoir for the filtered Water, and Fig. 5 shows a section of the sieve for retaining the iiltering material in the filter. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the complete apparatus, showing the connection and co-operation of its various parts.

The Water is collected in pipes 1, connected to a cylinder 2, containing a bag of net-Work 3, provided internally With plates 4 5, the plate 5 being provided with a hole a, as shown. These plates or partitions are formed of imperforate material, and are secured at their 75 edges to the net-Work and are supported thereby. rlhe upper plate 4 deflects the particles of dirt, and the lower plate prevents the accumulations of dirt underneath it from being stirred up by any sudden inrush of Water. The top of the cylinder 2 is connected to the bent pipe 6, equal in area to the total area of the collecting-pipes l, and supporting by means of the horizontal spindle 7 the taper pipe 8, carrying the balance-pan 9 -and bal- 85 ance-Weight 10. The bottom of the horizontal portion of the bent pipe 6 is connected by a small pipe 1l with the balance-pan 9, the inlet being covered by a sieve 12 to prevent any dirt passing to the balance-pan. The bottom of the balance-pan is connected by a pipe 13, provided with a regulating-cock 14, and the top by a pipe 15 to the taper pipe 8. A trough 16 is secured to the side of the taper pipe 8 and` communicates with its'interior, and a pipe 17 leads out of the cylinder 3, at the height it is desired to empty it, to the trough 16. The balance-pan 9 is provided on its exterior with a radial band 18. Un derneath the taper pipe 8 is atrough divided roo into two parts by a partition 19, the one part 20 leading to thc waste and thc other 2l to a reservoir or tank, On the trough 2O are mounted two legs 22, supporting on the fulcruin 23 a lever 2f, one arm of. which is provided with an adj ustablc balance-weight 25, the other arm normally bearing under the balance-pan and preventing it from tipping.

The water collected in the pipes 1 is received upon the plate 5, the contained dirt being washed through the hole to its under side and held there. Any dirt rising up the cylinder 2 is retained by the plate 1. The water flows through the bag 8 at all points and rises up the cylinder, and a part flows through the bentpipc G and taper pipe 8 into the waste-trough 2O and a partthrough the pipe 11 into the balance-pan tl. The cock li regulates the maximum time it takes for the water flowing through the pipe 1l to fill the balance-pan f), and it the weight is at the outer end of the lever 2t it then falls. By moving the weight 2l toward the fulcrum the time of tipping can be lessened, as required. lVhen the pan is tipped, the whole of the collected water is diverted from the waste 2O to the pipe 2l, the waterpassinginto the pan 9, overflowing by the pipe 15 to the taper pipe 8. The pan 9, when depressed, raises the weight 25 vertically over the tulcrum by means of the band 18 and retains itthere, the pan t) descendingsuddenly. It will thus be seen that the whole of the collected water is diverted suddenly from the waste-pipe 2U to the storage-pipe 21. lVhen the rain ceases, the balance-pan is returned to its normal position by the weight 10.

The water passes by the pipe 21 to the tank 26, and thence through the filter 27 to the tank 28, from which it maybe drawn for laundry and other purposes. rlhc tanks 215 and 28 are made as one, with a division-plate 29 between them. The filter 27 is of known construction; but is laid at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that it can readily be cleaned by means of the plugged openings 30.

The tank 2G is fitted with a combined overflow, drawing-oft, and flushing arrangement, the bent overflow-pipe 31. having a 'flange abutting against the flange 83 of a bent pipe 3i, passing through the side of the tank and fixed thereto by the flange 35.' An elastic packing-ring is inserted between the flanges and 33. The two pipes 31 and 34- are secured together by means ot the spindle 3G, having a cross-piece 37 attached to the pipe 31, and a nut 38, bearing against the pipe 3l and loop The overflow passes oft' by the pipes 31 and 33. The flushingor drawing ott is effected by unscrewing the nut 38, when the water rushes out between the flanges 32 and and by the pipe From the tank 28 the water is passed through a filter of known construction into the tank shown in Fig. 1, to be used for drinking or other purposes. In order to keep the filtering medium in the filters, a sieve of peculiar construction is employed, by which the size of the apertures can be accurately regulated.

They are made ol' two or more plates 40 41, of

carbon, slate, or other suitable material, and are drilled so as to accurately coincide with one another. Oneis then slid upon the other, so as to adjust the apertures to the required size. A number of diagonal holes are then made in the plates l0 41, into which dowels are inserted to keep them in position unt-il fixed in the filter. The plates are fixed by means of cement 42, as shown. Immediately above and below the plates are small plugged openings if), for inserting a syringe to cleanse them. 1

The tank for holding the drinking-water is formed of earthenware socket-pipes 14, cemented together, one above the other, vertically to any desired height. The base 45 of the tank is provided with an exit 4G, and is supported upon brick-work 47. The tank is provided with a central pipe 48, passing through and resting upon its bottom by the flange if) and passing through the exit-opening 46. A bent pipe 50, having a bell-mouth at its lower end, passes over the bottom end of the pipe 48, and snugs 51, near its upper end, bear against the under side of the exitopening 40. A small cross-pipe 52 passes across the pipe 48, as shown, and is connected to the pipe 53, carrying the nut 54 and drawoft tap 55, and passes through the support 5G. The pipe 48, at certain heights, carries Inereurial siphons 57, where the head of Water is not too great, or spring-valves opening into the pipe 48, which allow the contents to expand with frost. The pipe 48 also carries a cone 58 and has four openines 59. A short inner sleeve-tube GO, extending beyond the top of the tank, normally rests upon the cone 58, and is connected to the floats (51.

r1`he overfiow is carried ot'f through the openings 5!) and pipes 48 and 50 when the Water rises sufieiently to raise the fioats 61. The water is drawn oft' through the pipes 52 and and tap 55. The sediment is flushed out by loosening the nut 54T, which then, bears upon the top ot the support 56 and forces the pipe 4-8 upward. rlhe water then rushes out in volume between the pipe 48 and exit-opening i6 in the direction of the arrows. In order to keep the center of the water available for use during frost a heated gas is passed through the pipes 50 48.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters PatentM 1. The co1nbination,with the upper tank 2G and the lower tank 28, provided with an outlet-pipe, of the filter provided with pipes connecting it with the two said tanks, a separate ovcrflow-pipe in each tank, the clean-water pipe 21, and the dirty-water chute 20, supported above the upper tank, and oscillating vessel pivotcd over said pipe and chute, the pipe (i, delivering rain-water into said vessel, and the small pipe 11, connected to said pipe G, whereby said vessel may be caused to oscil- IOC IIC)

late, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The oombination,\vitl1tl1e vertical strainer provided with an upper partition, and a lower partition havinga hole in it, of the tank inclosing said strainer and provided with an outlet at its upper part, andan inlet-pipe projeoting through the side of said tank and delivering the rain-Water through the Strainer side onto the said lower partition, substantially as set forth. y,

. 3. The combination, with the pipe 6, of the pipe 8, pivoted on pin 7 and provided with the balance-pan 9 upon one side of it and adapted to oseillate therewith upon the said pin, the adjustable outlet-valve and pipe 13, connecting the bottom of said pan with pipe 8, and the small pipe l1, connecting pipe 6 with the balance-pan, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the pipe 6, of the pipe 8,`pivoted on pin 7 and provided With the balaneepa1`i 9, having the band 18 on its side, the pivoted lever provided with a sliding Weight and with a projecting end normally bearing against the under side of the balance-pan and bearing against said band 18 when the pan is overbalauoed, and the small pipe 11, connecting pipe 6 with the pan, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. The combined overloW, flushing, and drawing-off apparatus, consisting of elbowpipe 34,seoured to the tank, pipe 31, forming a continuation of pipe 34 and passing upward to the top ofthe tank, a spindle attached to pipe 31 and passing out of the tank through pipe 34, and an adjustable fastening device supported on the end of pipe 34 and engaging with the projecting end of said spindle,where by the joint between the said pipes may be made or broken, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT COOKE SAYER.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. CLARKE, STEPHEN APPLEGATE. 

